There isn’t much of the historic town left, be we rode our bikes out and back on dirt/gravel to see Osceola. It was a straightforward ride climbing out and descending on the way back.
After a mind boggling 12 mile gold-bearing quartz vein was discovered in 1872, a placer mining community took form in this canyon, but Osceola didn’t really take off until the 1880s when hydraulic mining began.
Hydraulic mining techniques, a form of mining that implements high-pressure jets of water to move sediment, proved to be successful in the hills of Osceola. Splitting the area into two canyons or ditches. The Osceola West Ditch and the Osceola East Ditch were erected to utilize and direct water flow from the mountains above. More and more people were drawn to the beautiful canyon, which proved to be an excellent location for farming, eventually reaching a population near 1500.
Sadly, the amount of water originally anticipated was not produced and mining operations fizzled until a 23 pound gold nugget broke free from a hillside in 1886 yielding a massive $6000. Excitement ensued and propelled hydraulic mining in the Osceola community until the turn of the 20th century. By this time, the population had diminished to a mere 100, which wasn’t enough to merit a post office. By the time they closed up shop, Osceola produced nearly $5 million in gold, with some silver, lead and tungsten.
The ride isn’t technical but there is a good amount of climbing and you are at altitude. We topped out at 7630′. The views down into the valley at the windmills was a bit dizzying. Luckily it wasn’t very windy this day because the last thing you need when riding up and over a pass is a headwind.
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